The police function in this country is much more varied and much more complex than is generally recognized. This is particularly true today in the congested areas of large urban centers where the demand for police services is especially great and where the police are confronted with an increasing variety of difficult situations, many of which stem from dissatisfaction with the economic and social conditions existing in such areas. As law enforcement has become more difficult, it has, for the same reasons, taken on new importance as a function of local government.